JEFFERSON COUNTY —After floods ravaged hillsides and bloated creeks, residents of Coal Creek Canyon remain curious about insurance, road and culvert repair and well-water testing. And they want to know when Colorado 72 will be accessible.

Those were the recurring concerns expressed by flood victims during a Sept. 25 telephone town hall held by Jefferson County.

Several officials responded to citizens about recovery operations and encouraged people to apply for FEMA assistance. A FEMA representative said residents should list in detail whatever damage they’ve experienced.

At a Sept. 22 Coal Creek Canyon flood meeting, a Colorado Department of Transportation representative said Lawrence Construction had signed a contract to work on Colorado 72 and that it could take a week of 20-hour days to restore access for strictly local use.

“We’ve been asking CDOT on a daily basis. They are looking to get the road back into condition so it will be accessible by Thanksgiving,” Commissioner Donald Rosier said.

In the interim, a plan to allow “pilot cars” to traverse the canyon in the morning and afternoon has been suggested.

But, according to Pastor Brian Young of Whispering Pines Church, the pilot cars are not yet in effect and residents’ commutes, which might normally be 25 minutes one way, are now an hour and a half or more each way.

Young is encouraging people who want to help affected families in the Coal Creek Canyon area to donate at www.canyoncares.org. He said there are some families needing financial assistance for shelter. The church also has been providing gas cards to teachers who commute to Coal Creek Canyon K-8. Many students at Ralston Valley High School have been staying with friends during the week to avoid the long commute.

Craig Eicher, a canyon resident and Xcel manager, said Xcel crews were making progress repairing natural gas lines on Sept. 26. He warned if controls or operating components on appliances have been submerged in water, a trained professional must inspect them.

Rosier added that the recovery work and surveying the extent of damage is day-to-day. There is a Colorado 72 hotline at 720-541-9985.

Larry Benshoof, director of Jefferson County Road and Bridge, assured residents that the county will repair all the roads and the slopes that support those roads and replace driveway culverts and make drainage repairs to roadside ditches.

Many callers expressed displeasure that bicyclists were allowed on the roads. “They have been hard enough to deal with on a good day,” one said.

Rosier said he would discuss the option of placing warning signs on the road to discourage cycling.

Commissioner Casey Tighe emphasized the need for individuals who are replacing culverts on private property to contact the county first to ensure that they are the proper size.

Kate Newman, disaster recovery coordinator for Jeffco, said people in need of special services such as rides or volunteers to help clean up should check out www.canyon cares.org. The county website lists multiple resources and services at jeffco.us/disaster-recovery.

Newman can be reached at 303-271-8500 or by e-mail at county administrator@jeffco.us.

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